i will remember you
by vogue24
Summary: Brooke Davis Scott is married to a wonderful man and has a beautiful child...she has her friends and her clothing line....the only problem...she can't remember anything!
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

"Good Morning Mrs. Scott, how are you feeling this morning? The doctor should be in a little later; he is doing his rounds right now. You gave us quite a scare for a while there. We were worried that your little girl might be left motherless. But the miracle of your recovery just proves that God works his magic everywhere…" As the young, blonde nurse continued with her chatter, a confused and blurry-eyed Brooke looked around the room; to try and make sense of what the nurse was saying or why even was a nurse talking to her or asking her how she was feeling.

So far from what she could see, she was in a hospital room. There were flowers and get well soon cards everywhere. When she looked down, she saw tubes and wires connected to each of her arms. The movement of scanning the room took a toll on her and a piercing pain shot through her head. Gently she reached up and instead of hair or even her scalp, she felt the rough, scratchy texture of gauze bandage.

Just as Brooke turned to ask the nurse what exactly was wrong with her, a bright cheerful sign strung across her window ledge caught her attention, "Congratulations, it's a girl!"

Frowning at the sign and frustrated with the fact that she didn't know what the hell was going on with and around her, Brooke finally asked the nurse, "Excuse me, I am sorry but could you tell me why exactly I am here" and pointing to the sign she continued, " and why is that sign in my room?"

The nurse gave Brooke a patronizing smile and patting her hand she replied, "I am sorry Mrs. Scott, you have been through an ordeal and here I am just piling on all this information on you…"

Before the nurse could continue, Brooke interrupted her and asked, "and why do you keep calling me Mrs. Scott? My name is Brooke Davis and I am way too young to be Mrs. Anyone let alone Scott."

The color drained from the nurse's pretty face and the exceedingly bright smile she had been wearing so far, disappeared. Giving Brooke a nervous look, the nurse quickly excused herself, saying she was going to call the doctor who would probably be able to answer her questions better.

A few minutes after the nurse disappeared, a haggard looking Nathan stepped into the room. Brooke noticed that the younger Scott brother looked tired and way older than what he should but she had to admit that he still looked as hot as always, "Hey there boy toy, and to what do I owe this visit?"

The sound of Brooke's voice shook Nathan out of his trance. He looked up into her bright, smiling face and without another thought he ran up to her and swooped her mouth into a warm, tender kiss.

A completely surprised Brooke gently pushed him away, "Whoa there what was that about? I mean don't get me wrong, both you Scott brothers do know how to kiss, so its not like I mind or anything but I am not so sure tutor girl will feel the same way."

Before Nathan could reply to that, the blonde nurse walked back in but this time she brought a whole posse of people with her, most of them in white lab coats and with very somber expressions.

"Hello there Mrs. Scott," a tall, older gentleman stepped out of the crowd and said in a cheery tone, "I am Dr. Morrow, its good to see you conscious finally. Allison tells me that you are not doing too well this morning, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

In an equally cheery but mocking tone Brooke replied, "Only if you answer a few of mine first and get rid of the nerdy bunch staring at me as if I am a bacteria under their microscope."

Nathan groaned at Brooke's dry sense of humor and was about to reproach her for her tone of voice when the doctor condescendingly replied, "Now Mrs. Scott, you are a medical miracle and "the nerdy bunch" as you called them are students at the university that are lucky enough to have opportunity to study this once in a lifetime case. Pretend like they are not here and let us carry on and figure out what is going on with you."

The doctor's pompous attitude got on Nathan's nerves and one look in Brooke's direction made him realize that she was just as annoyed as him. In a quiet but dangerous tone he said, "Look doc, I am glad Brooke is of such great interest to the medical community but last I remember, it is a patient's choice whether or not they want their case studied by medical students. Its obvious that Brooke doesn't, so please tell your posse to disperse."

Brooke's surprise at Nathan's presence was nothing compared to her surprise at his outburst. She never realized Nathan liked her at all, let alone enough to stand up for her like that. She felt his eyes on her and turning in his direction, she shot him a grateful smile. The doctor conceded and sent out his students. He looked directly at Brooke and said, "Alright Mrs. Scott, lets hear these questions of yours."

"First of all why do you keep calling me Mrs. Scott? My name is Brooke Davis and last I checked I was still single."

Brooke's statement caught both Nathan and the doctor off guard. They exchanged a look before the doctor began, "Mrs. Scott…"

Brooke quickly interrupted the doctor and continued with her questions, "I wasn't done. Why am I in the hospital and why is there a sign on the window congratulating me on a girl?"

By the time Brooke had finished asking her questions, a pale Nathan fell into the chair beside her. Brooke turned to make sure he was okay and the expression she saw on his face had her frowning.

Nathan looked shattered, as if the floor had just fallen from beneath him. Brooke could almost swear she saw tears forming in his eyes, when he finally looked her in the eye. She turned to the doctor and said, "Okay Doc those were my questions. Now its your turn to answer them."

The doctor smiled ruefully at Brooke and said, "Well thank you for the permission to speak Mrs…er…Brooke. In order to be able to answer your questions, I really do need you to answer a few of mine first. What year is it Brooke?"

Brooke looked at the doctor as if he was the one in need of treatment and rolling her eyes she replied, "2006, trust me this is a year I cannot forget considering it is my senior year!"

Both Nathan and the doctor stared so intensely at Brooke that she began to feel slightly uncomfortable, finally turning to Nathan she said, "Umm boy toy, I really appreciate the support and the visit but do you think I could talk to the doctor alone. Seeing his expression I am assuming I might have some deadly disease and if that is the case, I kind of want to hear it by myself first. Oh and Nathan do you, umm think you can ask your tutor girl and P.Sawyer to come by soon. I could really use my best friends right now."

Nathan looked at the doctor, who nodded his consent and then smiling at Brooke he replied, "Sure I'll ask them to stop by and I'll be outside if you need me okay?"

Brooke smiled back and replied, "Aren't you quite the sweetheart. If you keep this up, I might just have to steal you from tutor girl." Nathan nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Once in the hallway, he got out his cell phone and dialed. A familiar voice picked up, "Hey Nate…How is she?"

"She is awake. Can you guys come over? And can you bring Haley?

"Nathan are you sure that's a good idea with everything that's been going on. I mean Brooke just woke up, maybe we should wait before we all pile up on her, especially Hales."

"Look could you guys just get here please. She wants you here, so please just get here as soon as you can, okay?"

"Alright Nate, we'll leave right away."

Nathan let out a sigh and replied, "Thanks Luke, I hate to admit it but I really need you here bro."

Lucas heard the weariness in his brother's voice and gently asked, "You okay little brother?"

"Yah I just need my family here."

"Hang in there Nate, we are on our way."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

After hanging up, Nathan paced outside Brooke's room, waiting for the doctor to come out. Finally, almost a lifetime later in Nathan's opinion, the doctor stepped out of the room. He looked somber and serious, complete opposite of the irritatingly cheerful expression he was sporting earlier. When he saw Nathan racing toward him, he nodded in the direction of the chairs lined up against the wall and asked Nathan to take a seat. When Nathan shook his head, the doctor quietly replied, "Trust me son, you are going to want to be sitting down when you hear what I have to say."

Finally Nathan took a seat beside the doctor and tried to mentally prepare himself for the worst.

"Physically Brooke is fine. Her body will obviously need time to get back into shape after being out of commission for so long. She will need to go to physical therapy and it will probably take her a few months before her body fully recovers and starts functioning normally."

"Well that's good right doc?" Nathan asked, his voice full of hope.

"Yes that's good, in fact it is a miracle. But there is more. Like you heard her before Brooke seems to be stuck in the year 2006. Apparently the shock of the accident injury combined with the coma has led her to suffer from retrograde amnesia. I will of course have to run a few tests before I can give you a definitive diagnosis but she cannot recall the last seven years of her life. She doesn't recall graduating high school even."

Nathan mutely absorbed the information that the doctor had just given him. The doctor laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. Nathan shrugged him off and standing up he asked, "So will she ever remember?"

"Well that is something, unfortunately, even medicine cannot answer. Usually most victims get back their lost memories at least most of it. Some victims get back partial memory and in extremely rare cases, victims never recover any memory."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it and growled, "Well I guess that's vague enough. So what are we supposed to do in the meanwhile?"

The doctor finally got out of his seat and looking Nathan directly in the eye, he said, "Be patient with her. The victim of retrograde amnesia may feel embarrassed or stressed that they no longer remember key people and significant events. Typically the victim may be overwhelmed by the rush of well-wishers, who seek to reacquaint themselves. It is important to let the amnesiac go at his or her "own pace," so they are not overly stressed."

Nathan looked at the doctor and asked again, "Will she ever remember doc?"

"I hate to say this, especially as a doctor but I honestly don't know. She will have to meet with a psychiatrist and eventually if she wants, she can work with a hypnotist and try recovering her memory that way. Unfortunately you cannot force memories on her but you can re-introduce her to them."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you can take her to familiar places. Don't tell her how or why they are familiar just take her there and see how she reacts. Introduce her to familiar smells, perfumes, food…whatever. Do activities with her that you used to before everything happened. Stick with your normal routine, something is bound to connect in her mind."

"And how do I explain her daughter to her?"

"You don't. Not yet. As far as she knows she doesn't have a baby…"

"Or a husband…" Nathan interrupted.

"That is true," the doctor replied, "but a husband is a relationship that you can introduce but not force on her."

"I don't understand…"

"I recommend telling her about her marriage. I mean after all there is a ring on her finger and legally she is married. That is a fact she cannot avoid. But don't force her to be a wife. Just educate her on the daily routine and let her get used to it eventually."

"Fine but what about her daughter, we can't just not tell her about her own child. And what about when she asks about how she got married or what has happened in her life since 2006, what do I tell her then?"

"The truth. She obviously knows that seven years of her life have gone by and she doesn't remember them. Its okay to tell her the truth but its like I said you can tell her the facts just don't force the emotions on her. Look Nathan, I know this is hard and I am very sorry for it but she is young and healthy in every other way, there is no reason not to hope that she will remember everything very soon."

"Hope…right," scoffed Nathan.

"Well in either case it's going to be a long road to recovery for her and for you. As a doctor and as someone who has been a friend for the past few years, I recommend you take up on all the support you can get." The doctor patted Nathan on his shoulder and walked past him. Nathan quietly headed towards Brooke's room and stood at the window looking in at the sleeping girl inside.

Nathan felt a warm hand squeeze his shoulder. "Hi Nate", a gentle voice whispered next to his ear. Nathan turned and enveloped the slender blonde in a tight hug, "Thank you guys so much for coming."

"Of course…" Peyton slowly pulled away, "How is she?"

"Physically, she is as healthy as a horse. But she thinks she is a senior in high school and that it is 2006. She doesn't remember her marriage or her child." Nathan turned to Lucas and said, "She doesn't understand why everyone keeps calling her Mrs. Scott, considering she broke up with you and that you were now in love with P.Sawyer and she is dating Chase."

"Wow!" was all Lucas could say to that.

"Where is Haley?" Nathan asked looking past the couple and toward the hallway. A little girl shyly stepped out from behind Lucas and giving him a bright smile, she said, "Hi daddy!"


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Hi munchkin…" Nathan scooped the little girl up in his arms and held her close, breathing in her familiar baby scent. He pulled away and tickling her a little, he asked, "and how is my princess today?"

"I missed you daddy…" the little girl stuttered, her lower lip sticking out in a cute, little pout.

"Daddy missed you too honey…" Nathan replied, "You didn't give Uncle Luke and Peyton, any trouble did you?"

"Nope…because you promised that if I was good then you would bring mommy home. I have been a good girl daddy, can we bring mommy home now?" the little girl asked hopefully.

Nathan kissed his daughter's forehead and said, "Soon baby soon." Nathan turned to his brother and asked, "How is Jamie?"

Lucas shrugged, "He is with Ma. He didn't want to come. He said he had homework."

Nathan sighed. Since the accident, his older son adamantly refused to come to the hospital. The past three years had been the hardest on the little boy, his world had changed dramatically and he was too young to process it all. Nathan hated that he couldn't be there for his son but his responsibilities had increased especially with the birth of his little girl and Nathan felt himself spread to thin. Jamie chose his gammy Karen over his dad and Nathan had no choice but to let his son go and concentrate on his daughter.

"He is only a kid Nate. Ma is working on him, he'll come around. Right now we need to concentrate on getting Brooke better. What did the doctor say?" Lucas asked urgently.

Nathan put Haley down, "Why don't you go in the play pen and play with those big dolls you like so much, daddy needs to talk to Luke and Peyton. But I promise I will be right there, okay?"

"Okay daddy," with those words, the little girl gleefully skipped toward the playroom.

Nathan turned to his brother and said, "Well there is hope but no cure. According to the doctor all we can do is wait. He says that we should not force the memories on her but that we should slowly re-introduce her to the life she cannot remember. She may someday remember everything, she may remember something or she might not remember anything."

"So we just pretend like the past seven years didn't happen until she remembers something?"

"Well we can't do that. She knows that seven years have gone by and that she can't remember them. The doctor says that we should tell her the truth, the facts just not force her to remember them."

"Well have you talked to Brooke since she woke up?" Peyton asked.

"Yes I have. She called me boy toy and when I kissed her, she said she liked it but thought tutor girl might mind. And then when the doctor was checking her out, she thanked me for coming and asked me to give them privacy. She also mentioned that I was such sweetheart and that she might have to steal me from tutor girl."

"That's got to be rough Nate. I am sorry man." Luke replied apologetically.

"Yah my own wife thinks she is single and that I am cheating on another woman when I kiss her." Nathan looked at Lucas and said exasperatedly, "When did life get so freaking complicated?"

Lucas smirked, "Well look at this way little brother, things can only get better from here on end."

At the very moment, a nurse stepped out of Brooke's room screaming, "the patient is having seizures, get the doctor NOW!"


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"What's going on Allison?" Dr. Morrow asked as he sidestepped through the crowd and came into Brooke's room.

"I am not sure doctor. I came into check her vitals and suddenly she started shaking and twisting. She seemed unconscious but her blood pressure rose to dangerous levels. The shaking just stopped but she is sweating and her blood pressure is still too high."

"Thank you Allison but I am not sure that was a seizure. I think Brooke was having a nightmare." The doctor turned to Nathan, "Maybe if you stayed with her for a while reassured her, she might calm down and feel better."

Nathan agreed and sat down next to his restless wife, taking her hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze just as the rest of the crowd began to disband from the room.

"Lucas…" Brooke moaned the name so softly that Nathan almost didn't hear her.

"Brooke…baby it's okay, I got you now," Nathan softly reassured her.

"Please don't leave Lucas. Just stay with me." This time there was no mistaking the name Brooke muttered quietly in her unconsciousness. Before Nathan had a chance to react to that, someone quietly cleared their voice behind him.

Peyton stood at the door to Brooke's room and from the expression on her face it was clear that she had heard Brooke's last comment. She gave Nathan a sympathetic look and said, "Nate why don't you go home for a bit. Haley really needs you. Lucas and I can take over for a while. Just go home take a shower, tuck your little girl in bed, and get some sleep yourself. Come back first thing tomorrow morning. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow, you are going to need all the strength you can get."

Nathan sighed and headed toward the door, "You are right Peyton. Besides it seems like I am not really the one she needs right now."

Peyton reached out and touched Nathan's sleeve and started, "Nate…"

Nathan gave Peyton a sad smile and gently kissed her on the forehead, "Take care of her, will you? I'll come relieve you guys early tomorrow. Thanks for everything."

Nathan stepped outside the room and saw Haley playing tickle fest with her Uncle Luke. He scooped her up and threw her in the air, earning a loud, happy squeal from his baby girl, "Lets go home honey."

The next morning Nathan woke up bright and early, not that he slept much anyway. On his way to the hospital, he stopped by Karen's to drop Haley off and had secretly hoped that he might be lucky enough to drop his son to school but by the time he got there, Jamie had already left.

"How about some coffee Nathan?" Karen asked the worn out young man.

"Can you make it to go?" came the hurried response.

"Nathan why don't you just sit down for a little bit, have some breakfast and then head back to the hospital."

"As tempting as that offer is Karen, I really should go back. Peyton and Lucas have been there all night and I should probably go relieve them from their night shift."

"Lucas and Peyton can survive a few more minutes without your help. Come sit down and let me get you a muffin and coffee. Have you heard from your parents?"

"Oh yah dad called from prison, wishing me well. And mom is still in rehab. This is what like her 100th time there?" came the bitter reply.

"I am really sorry you have to go through all this Nathan. But now that Brooke is awake, things will get better I am sure."

"I am not sure if you heard but Brooke is awake but she cannot remember the last seven years of her life. Those seven years include our marriage, the accident and Haley's birth. I am not sure if I would say that Brooke's waking up is so much better."

"Don't say that Nathan. Her waking up is the first step. Recovery will probably be a long road for you both but at least you will have each other and Haley will have both her parents."

Nathan gave Karen a desperate look and running his hands through his hair, he exclaimed, "But she doesn't remember us Karen. Not me, not Haley. Last night she was having a bad dream, she called out Lucas' name, not Nathan but Lucas. As far as she is concerned, he is still the one for her. After everything, I just don't know if I can deal with this Karen."

Karen laid a reassuring hand on Nathan's and said, "Nathan, you and Brooke didn't start out on the best foot either but things got better, you guys got through it. I am sure you can get through this too."

Nathan sighed, "That's what makes this worse Karen. Brooke and I were just getting to a good place. We were just starting to be happy, so why did this have to happen now? Its like taking one step forward and a million steps back."

Karen smiled, "Hang in there kiddo. Just remember your family is always going to be there for you, and that includes me."

Nathan smiled up at Karen; "I know and thank you so much for that Karen. You have already done so much for Jamie. I can't thank you enough for that. As soon as Brooke recovers from everything, I am going to focus all my energy on him. I miss him."

"He misses you too Nathan but that little boy is a lot stronger than you give him credit for. Trust me, he will get through this. You all will."

"Thanks for the coffee and the talk Karen, I really needed it."

Karen came around the counter and gave Nathan a warm hug; "Call me if you need me. I'll stop by later to see Brooke and I'll bring you guys some dinner."

Nathan hugged her back, "Thank you."

As Nathan walked down the hospital hallway and toward Brooke's room, he found a worried Lucas pacing frantically. Before he reached Brooke's room, Lucas quickly pulled him away and exclaimed, "She's awake!"

"Yeah thanks I kind of already knew that." Nathan thanked his brother for stating the obvious.

"No, I mean she woke up from her sleep…"

"Yah Luke I get the point. Now can I go see her please?" Nathan asked sarcastically as he pushed his brother aside and headed toward Brooke's room again.

"Nathan she's been asking questions. And neither Peyton nor I knew what exactly to say. Where the hell have you been?"

"Sorry I was just grabbing some breakfast at Karen's. What kind of questions has she been asking?" asked a curious Nathan.

Lucas shrugged, "you know the usual. What year is it? Who is she married to? Does she have a child?"

"And what did you tell her?"

"Nothing we have just kind of been stalling I guess." Lucas then looked at his brother and quietly said, "She thinks she is married to me."

Nathan smirked, "and you are surprised? She is stuck in 2006 and the last man she would expect to be married to, would be me. Hell even she was stuck in 2010, the last person she would consider her husband would still be me."

"Nathan…" Luke started but Nathan just held up a hand and entered the room. When he entered, he couldn't find Brooke or Peyton in the room. Nathan turned to Lucas, "where did they go?"

"No clue."

At that very moment Brooke stepped out of the bathroom with Peyton's help. Nathan and Lucas both rushed over to the girls. Nathan quickly swept Brooke up in his arms and carried her to the bed, "You shouldn't be out of bed without the nurse."

"Well excuse me for wanting to use the bathroom for the first time in three years. Beside I wanted to see what the 25-year-old Brooke looks like. Stop freaking out boy toy husband, I am fine. If anything I should be the one freaking out. Here I am thinking I am yet to graduate high school but apparently not only am I not 18 anymore but I am also married to the last person I ever expected and I am the mother of a child. Wow yah okay now that I say all that out loud, I am definitely freaking out," Brooke started hyperventilating and a nervous Nathan quickly got her a glass of water, "Easy babe, just take a deep breath and relax, okay?"

Brooke nodded and raising a quizzical eyebrow at Nathan she asked, "babe?"

Nathan just shrugged, not really knowing how to respond to that. Lucas and Peyton, who had so far been watching the interactions from a distance, made their presence felt.

Peyton leaned over to give Brooke a hug, "I missed you Brooke Davis and I am so glad you are back, or at least most of you is…I guess" She pulled away and continued, "I promise, we'll work everything out okay?"

Brooke nodded, "I am going to hold you to that P. Sawyer."

Lucas was next in line to give Brooke a hug. Both Nathan and Peyton noticed that she held onto him a little longer than necessary. Lucas finally pulled away and gave her quick kiss on the forehead, "Welcome back, pretty girl. We all missed you like crazy. Don't you ever scare us like that. "

Brooke smiled, flashing her gorgeous dimples, which was definitely a sight her friends more than welcomed back. Lucas smiled back and he followed Peyton to the door, closing it behind them.

When the couple left, Nathan turned to his wife, who looked very unlike the Brooke Davis that he knew. She looked unsure, almost shy in his presence. If the situation wasn't so awkward, he might have actually found that kinda cute. Finally Brooke looked up at him and asked, "So what has Brooke Davis Scott been up to these past 7 years?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Nathan pulled up a chair next to Brooke's bed and asked, "Where would you like me to start exactly?"

Brooke shrugged, "Oh I don't maybe with the fact that I have a child…" and turning to Nathan she exclaimed, "with you!"

Nathan couldn't help but smile, at least the old spirited Brooke was back, even if she couldn't remember him, "Well how about we start at the beginning? It might help make sense of things more."

"Sure, I am all ears boy toy husband."

"Well we graduated high school in 2006…" Nathan started.

"How about we fast forward the obvious parts and jump straight into the madness, i.e., my marriage to you." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Brooke looked at Nathan apologetically, "I mean no offense or anything but you were MARRIED to my best friend and now you are apparently happily married to me. And by the way, where is Haley, are we not friends anymore or something?"

Nathan sighed; this was not going to be easy. He took Brooke's hand in his and places a soft kiss on her fingers, "I have missed you but seriously if you want answers, could you let me talk for a second?"

Brooke quickly pulled her hand away and pouting slightly, she grumbled, "Fine! Talk!"

Nathan stood up and walked to the window, "We graduated in 2006 and before the ceremony was over Haley went into labor. She gave birth to our son, James."

Brooke gave Nathan an incredulous look, "You and tutor girl have a son? I don't remember her being pregnant."

Nathan gave shot Brooke a "are you serious look". "Wow I guess I do really have memory loss huh?! Anyways sorry continue…"

Nathan smirked, "Thanks. So like I was saying Haley gave birth to our son. Whitey pulled some strings and I got into Duke, and Haley and James came with me. You and Peyton were supposed to go to LA for the summer but you bailed. You got in touch with your mom instead and together you guys started the clothes over bros line."

Brooke let out a loud squeal, "So I finally started my own line? Yaay! Go me! God I really wish I could remember."

Nathan came over and sat back down next to her and quietly said, "Brooke Davis Scott, you have had some good moments in your life so far but I have to warn you, you have lived through some pretty ugly stuff too, you really sure you want go through it all over again?"

Brooke squeezed Nathan's hand and with brave smile plastered on her face, she said, "Yah well if it was all peachy, I wouldn't have believed you anyways, that's not exactly how Brooke Davis rolls."

Nathan smiled, "Alright baby girl you asked for it. So like I was saying, you guys started clothes over bros, which included a clothing line and magazine. You, dear wife, are quite famous. Those first few years we all grew apart. Peyton went to LA and stayed back there working for some music company. Lucas worked hard trying to get his book published. The two of them didn't have it easy either. They broke up and it took them a few years and an almost marriage to different people, for them to realize that they were it for each other."

Brooke frowned, "That sounds like a very interesting sub plot but I think I'll save it for later. Lets refocus to I was busy being famous and you were busy being cute with tutor girl and baby James…What changed?"

Nathan laughed, "I am getting there Brooke, can you just let me do that at my pace?"

"Nathan Scott, your pace is too damn slow!" came the impatient reply

Nathan chuckled and replied, "So while I was busy "being cute" as you put it with Haley and James, something happened that changed my life."

Brooke just quirked her eyebrow impatiently at Nathan but the chuckling Nathan that had been surprisingly fun company till now grew somber. He turned away from her and walking to the window, he continued, "There was an accident, which left me temporarily paralyzed. I lost my chance to play basketball professionally and for a while it was like I lost my way in the world. Haley tried to be supportive but I guess she had just reached her breaking point. Alcohol started becoming a good friend and before I knew it, I was officially a divorced alcoholic."

Brooke wasn't sure how to respond. She was starting to think that maybe memory loss wasn't such a bad thing. A bitter, broken Nathan and a sad, lonely Haley didn't seem like much to miss out on. She quietly suggested, "Well the ugliness is apparently not just in my past, but seriously you don't have to relive your nightmares for me."

Nathan didn't turn to look at Brooke, he just shook his head and continued his story, "No it's fine, and it was a long time." He finally turned to Brooke and gently declared, "I moved on." He sat back down beside Brooke, "Anyways like I was saying Haley divorced me three years ago. I was miserable. I lost basketball, Haley and James. I pushed Lucas and all my friends away and eventually they gave up on me too, I guess. And then to cut a long, depressing story short, you came back."

Brooke bestowed Nathan with a curious look, "And what exactly is that supposed to mean? Was that a good thing or bad?"

Nathan grinned, "Well it started out being a bad thing, a very bad thing. You were furious with me for breaking Haley's heart and leaving Jamie "fatherless." You barged into my house and declared that I was a selfish asshole and that you were here to do some major ass kicking to get me in shape." He turned to Brooke, his eyes full of mischief and continued, "You wheeled me to my swimming pool and pushed me in and told me to swim."

Brooke replied thoughtfully, "Yah that sounds about right. And seeing that you are walking, standing and I have a feeling even playing ball now, I guess me pushing you worked?"

Nathan nodded, "It worked, so well in fact that I swam to the edge and pulled you in, getting your Gucci dress wet, which just made me that much worse in your books."

"Are you kidding, I still married you after all this?"

Nathan laughed, "Yah actually you were the one that proposed."

Brooke punched Nathan in the shoulder, "Shut up! I would never, never propose to a boy, especially a Scott boy. Its completely against my Brooke Davis code of ethics."

"Well you did. But I guess in all fairness I should tell you the whole story. In your own Brooke Davis way, you stood by me when everyone else just looked the other way. You helped me detoxify, which you never let me forget was the grossest thing you ever had to do. You stayed with me and bullied me into straightening my life out, which included my relationship with Haley and Jamie."

"And then I went and proposed to you? Yah that totally makes sense," Brooke grumbled sarcastically.

"Seriously Brooke you need to stop interrupting, you are totally killing the mood," came the exasperated reply.

"Whatever, please do continue with this epic novel that apparently happened in the past seven years of my life."

"Like I was saying, once I sobered up I tried to patch things up with Haley but I guess it wasn't just the accident or the alcohol that broke us up. Haley and I had grown apart and we both just weren't willing to deal with that. We finally had a talk and when I came back home that day I was miserable Brooke. And you…" Nathan let out a small laugh, "You were just you. Yelling about how my timing sucked and I distracted you and in your excitement you burnt the pie or something like that. I don't I just saw you there yelling and pouting with flour on your face and an apron tied around you and I just couldn't stop myself. We had sex."

Brooke turned bright red and all she could say when Nathan looked her directly in the eye was a pathetic, "Oh"

Nathan smiled, "What Brooke Davis Scott speechless? Yup that was the reaction the first time I kissed you as well. We made passionate love multiple times in places I didn't even think I could ever have sex. We decided to become friends with benefits, no strings attached. I was still somewhat in love with Haley and you still couldn't trust a Scott. And then things changed…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Brooke sighed, "Look Mr. wannabe Hitchcock…I appreciate your storytelling skills and all but could you please stop with the cryptic statements and dramatic pauses. I just want to know what happened, plain and simple."

"Well plain and simple, you got pregnant and we got married."

Brooke gasped, "So I really do have a child." She grabbed Nathan's hand asked apprehensively, "Do we have a son or a daughter?"

"We have a beautiful baby girl. She has your eyes and your dimples. She is almost four. We talk about you all the time," Nathan replied happily.

Brooke smiled. She had a girl, a baby girl. She always wanted a little girl that she could dress up. A little girl who could follow in her mother's footsteps but without making the mistakes and dealing with the heartbreaks, her mother had to deal with. A little girl that she could love with all her heart.

Nathan saw the myriad of emotions that were playing on Brooke's face. He had been anxious initially, not knowing how she would react. He knew that his heart would truly have broken if Brooke were not able to accept Haley and give the little girl the love she had been waiting for. But looking at Brooke now, Nathan knew that even if Brooke could never remember her life with him, she would still be the best mother that she can to their little girl and that helped ease his heartache a little. 

"What did you name her?" Brooke quietly asked.

"Haley Elizabeth Scott."

Brooke frowned, "We named our daughter after your ex-wife?"

Nathan didn't say anything. He just nodded his head and looked away. Brooke gently turned his face back to her and asked, "Are we happily married Nathan?"

"I don't know Brooke. I think so, I hope so but I honestly don't know. There were fights and awkward moments but all in all I would like to think we were happy. You, me and Jamie." Nathan replied wistfully. 

"And Haley?" 

Nathan stood up and kissed Brooke's forehead, "I think that's enough information for today. Why don't you get some rest? I promise I'll tell you the rest tomorrow."

Brooke grabbed Nathan's hand just as he was walking away and solemnly asked, "You promise?"

Nathan nodded and sincerely replied, "I promise Brooke."

Brooke smiled sweetly and snuggled into her sheets, slowly drifting far away from Nathan. Nathan watched her for a little while longer and then quietly slipped away closing the door behind him. 

When he stepped out he noticed Karen napping on a chair nearby. He went over and gently nudged her awake. Karen woke up with a start but managed to muster up a warm smile, "Oh Nathan, I am so sorry, it's been a long day and I guess while I was waiting for you, I dozed off. How is she?"

Nathan sighed and dropped into the seat beside Karen, "She's different."

"Different how?" asked a frowning Karen.

"The Brooke I remember was always confident and optimistic. She was so sure of herself, she never let anyone see her cry or hurt except maybe Peyton. But this Brooke…" Nathan looked at Karen, his eyes confused, "She's so vulnerable and scared. She is actually shy asking me questions about our life together, can you believe that?" 

Karen chuckled, "Brooke…shy?"

Nathan grinned, "My point exactly. When she looks at me Karen, her eyes so full of hope and fear. It's as if she is hoping I can rescue her and protect her but I am not even sure from what." Nathan buried his face in his hands and mumbled, "I don't what I am supposed to do."

"Just be her friend and be there for her, that's all you can do." Karen replied sympathetically. 

Nathan nodded, "How's Haley?"

Karen smiled, "She's fine. She is helping her brother with his homework."

"She is three years old!" a laughing Nathan exclaimed.

Karen shrugged, "She wanted to help, so Jamie decided to make her sharpen his pencils."

"I guess I should go home and tuck her in. Besides I need to get some sleep, today was a piece of cake as compared to tomorrow."

"Why what is tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow I tell Brooke about Haley, my ex-wife." Nathan replied seriously

"Morning Brooke, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Morrow asked as he examined his patient's chart

"Umm let's see. I am still having a hard time walking on my own and I still can't remember, not even flashes or anything. So what do you think Doc, are these signs of improvement?" Brooke complained

"I am sorry about that Brooke. I know it must be frustrating not remembering. Right now I recommend you focus on getting your health back once you have that on your side then you can start working with a psychiatrist and start recovering your memory." 

"Well I guess you are the doctor." Brooke replied sarcastically. Dr. Morrow just looked at her as though she were petulant child complaining because she didn't get her favorite toy. Before Brooke could respond to his look, a cheerful Nathan walked in carrying a beautiful bouquet of roses. He came over to Brooke and leaned into give her quick hello kiss but Brooke turned away and instead she leaned over and smelled the bouquet he was holding, "Mmmm this smells really good." She smiled at Nathan. "Thank you boy toy that was really nice of you."

Nathan was disappointed that Brooke had turned away from his touch but he winked at her and slyly commented, "These are not from me, they are from Peyton. She wanted to come see you today but she has to go meet some client in New York so she sent these instead."

"Awww boy toy there is no need to feel shy. You are allowed to be romantic with your wife. From what I do remember of my life, Haley never complained about lack of romance from you…" As soon as Brooke spoke those words, the room fell into an awkward silence. The doctor sensed that something was off and the couple needed their privacy, he slowly stepped out and shut the door behind him. 

Nathan used the flowers as an escape and walked to the other end of the room to put them in the empty vase on Brooke's nightstand. 

"Nathan you promised…" Brooke's raspy voice reached out to him.

"I know Brooke…" He sighed and turned back around to her and asked with a smile, "So where did I leave off yesterday?"

"Haley…"

Nathan groaned at the mention of that name. Haley James Scott, once the love of his life, the mother of his child and now…now she was a name, a memory, a piece of history that kept him and his family from moving on.

"Nathan, you were going to tell me about Haley…" Brooke's voice shook him out of his reverie. 

"Yah that's where we stopped. Well, after our divorce Haley took Jamie and went back on tour with Chris. I, with your help of course, worked on getting and staying sober."

"Did she find out about us? How did she react?"

"She did find out about us. And that was ummm quite a dramatic episode of our life."

FLASHBACK 

_Nathan was trying on his tuxedo jacket, when the door to his bedroom flew open and Jamie came screaming in and hugged him around his knees. Nathan could not believe his eyes; his little boy was actually here. At first, maybe out of shock, Nathan just stood there absorbing the moment and then he heard Jamie's muffled voice, "daddy we are home. I missed you daddy."_

_Nathan picked the boy up in his arms and with tears in his eyes he squeezed the little boy close to his heart, "Hey there bud, I missed you too. How did you get here and where is mommy?"_

_"Mommy is right here," Haley replied from the doorway. _

_Nathan looked up to find his estranged wife, soon to be ex, standing there with a beautiful smile on her face. She slowly walked up to him and reaching up she kissed him softly on his cheek, "How are you Nathan?"_

_"Good and you?" was all Nathan could say_

_Haley smiled indulgently at Jamie, "Jamie will you do mommy a favor?" The little boy nodded his head. "Will you go outside and play with your basketball for a little bit so mommy and daddy can talk?"_

_Nathan put Jamie down and then crouched down to the little boy's height, "Daddy will come out and shoot some hoops with you once we have talked okay?"_

_"Okay daddy" Jamie replied as he trotted outside to play. _

_As soon as Jamie left, Haley pulled Nathan into a hug, "I am so sorry Nathan. I shouldn't have left. I vowed to stay with you through better or worse and I bailed the moment things got worse."_

_Haley pulled away slightly and cupped Nathan's face in her hands, "Do you think you can ever forgive me? For leaving you to fight by yourself and for taking Jamie away from you?"_

_Nathan shook his head, as if to tell himself that this was not real, it was just a dream, a figment of his imagination. But the warmth of Haley's body so close to his and that faint flowery smell that was so uniquely hers, told him that this was very much real. Nathan pulled away, "Haley there is nothing to forgive. You did what you had to and in a way you did help. Look at me, I am sober and walking and you had a lot to do with that."_

_Haley came close to him again and reaching out she took his hand in hers, "But I should have been there Nathan. I should have fought harder. I should have…"_

_Nathan gently tucked a strand of her soft, brown hair behind her ear, "Haley stop. There is nothing to forgive; you are always supporting me, if not in person then in spirit."_

_For a moment the two childhood sweethearts just stood still, absorbing the moment, the serenity that engulfed them. They were so entranced in their history that they didn't notice the young brunette standing at the door, quiet tears gathering in her beautiful hazel eyes. Finally she cleared her throat, and the startled couple jumped apart. _

_"Oh hey Brooke…" Nathan said awkwardly._

_Haley ran and gave her friend a hug, "Hi there Tigger, I missed you so much."_

_Brooke shot Nathan a helpless look over Haley's shoulder and Nathan, who was just as confused as Brooke, just shrugged, not knowing how to react or what to say. _

_Haley pulled away, "How have you been Brooke? Karen told me about everything you did for Nathan and I seriously can't thank you enough."_

_Brooke smiled, her smile not reaching her eyes, "Hi tutor girl, we missed you too. When did you get in, I thought you were off being famous."_

_"I know I ran again but Jamie and I missed Nathan everyday and I realized that I love him, better or for worse."_

_"Huh, well good for you. You guys obviously need time to work things out, so I am just going to leave you to it." Brooke turned to Nathan, "I'll get my things together and move out today."_

_Haley came up and gave Brooke another hug, "Thank you Brooke. You are the best friend that a girl can ask for."_

_Brooke pulled away and turned to leave when suddenly Haley gasped, "Oh my god! Brooke Davis, you have an engagement ring on your finger!"_

_Both Nathan and Brooke groaned, this was exactly what they had been trying to avoid during this whole awkward reunion. Haley pulled Brooke to the nearby couch and flopping down beside her, she asked, "when? How? Who?"_

_Brooke smiled, she had missed her friend and this exact instant reminded her how much but then she thought of her answers and the smile quickly disappeared from her face, "umm…"_

_At that very moment Peyton bust in to the room, "Brooke Penelope Davis, where the hell are you? I love how you are getting married next week and instead of you and Nathan taking care of the wedding details; it's me and Luke running around…"_

_The rest of Peyton's sentence died mid air as she noticed Haley sitting next to Brooke, looking very confused by Peyton's angry statement, "Oh umm hi Haley, when did you get in?"_

_Peyton shot Brooke a "what the hell is going on" look and all Brooke could do was shrug. _

_As if there was not enough tension or drama in the room already, Lucas chose that very second to walk in and announce, "Seriously Nate if you are the one marrying Brooke, don't you think you should be the one buying the rings?" Nathan groaned and flopped down on a nearby chair, Brooke buried her face in her hands and Peyton smacked her newlywed husband's shoulder, "Ow! What did you…" and the rest of whatever Lucas was going to say was never heard as he finally laid eyes on a confused and teary eyed Haley sitting next to Brooke. _

_"You are getting married to my husband?" Haley asked Brooke accusingly._

_"Haley…"Brooke started_

_"You really are a slut, aren't you?" _

_Lucas and Peyton, the real culprits of this mess, quietly slipped out making some excuse about going outside and playing with Jamie. Tears were streaming down Brooke's face, "Haley it's not like that."_

_"Please, please explain to me what its like." Haley demanded bitterly_

_"Haley…" Nathan tried to butt in but he was quickly shushed, "Nathan you stay out of this. I really want to hear Brooke's explanation about how she took advantage of you in your vulnerable state and got you to agree to marry her."_

_"You were the one that left Haley. You left Nathan in his vulnerable state, to fight all by himself." Brooke cried out bitterly._

_"And wasn't it just convenient that Brooke Davis, slut of Tree Hill High, was right there to clean up after me."_

_Brooke looked to Nathan for help but he just sat there, quiet and expressionless. Brooke smirked and twisting her engagement ring off her finger she put it on the coffee table and said, "You are right Haley. You are right I am the slut that came between the legendary Naley epic. I tried to take your place tutor girl and that is something that I can obviously never do. You are perfect and I am anything but. So welcome back to your life and your husband and I really hope that someday you can forgive me." With those words Brooke walked out of the room, never looking back. _

FLASHBACK 


End file.
